The Christian Quotation of the Day

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Saturday, September 14, 2013

Lewis: surrender

Saturday, September 14, 2013 Feast of the Holy Cross Meditation: Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— —Colossians 1:21-22 (NIV) Quotation: Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement. He is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor—that is the only way out of our ‘hole.’ This process of surrender—this movement full speed astern—is what Christians call repentance. ... C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan, 1952, reprint, HarperCollins, 2001, p. 44 (see the book) See also Col. 1:21-22; Matt. 4:17; John 15:23-24; Acts 17:30; Rom. 2:6; 5:8-10; 8:7; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; 7:8-11; Jas. 4:4; Rev. 2:5; 3:2-3Quiet time reflection: Lord, banish whatever rebellion remains in me.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Buechner: the life you save

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 Meditation: [Jesus:] “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” —Luke 17:33 (NIV) Quotation: Inspection stickers used to have printed on the back “Drive carefully—the life you save may be your own.” That is the wisdom of man in a nutshell. What God says, on the other hand, is “The life you save is the life you lose.” In other words, the life you clutch, hoard, guard, and play safe with is in the end a life worth little to anybody, including yourself, and only a life given away for love’s sake is a life worth living. ... Frederick Buechner (b. 1926), Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, Harper & Row, 1973, revised, HarperCollins, 1993, p. 28 (see the book) See also Luke 17:33; Matt. 10:39; 16:25-26; Mark 8:35-36; Luke 9:24-25; 12:16-21; John 12:25; 2 Tim. 2:11-13; Jas. 4:14; Rev. 12:10-11Quiet time reflection: Lord, pour out my life for Your purposes.

Monday, September 09, 2013

Bonhoeffer: costly grace

Monday, September 9, 2013 Meditation: When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” —Luke 18:22 (NIV) Quotation: Grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God. ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), The Cost of Discipleship, Simon and Schuster, 1959, p. 45 (see the book) See also Luke 18:22; Matt. 10:37-38; 19:21; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23; 14:26-30; John 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 12:28-29Quiet time reflection: Compared to Your grace, Lord, my cost is nothing.